Men jailed for 10 years for bringing drugs into Ceredigion from Bristol
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Two members of an organised crime group who brought heroin and crack cocaine from Bristol into Aberystwyth over a three-month period have been jailed for a total of 10 and a half years.
Marcus Aaron Yeldham, aged 43, of Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth, and Tobias Cribbett, aged 37, Alban Square, Aberaeron, appeared before Swansea Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (16 Dec).
Yeldham received a seven-and-a-half-year sentence, while Cribbett was given three years.
Their conviction and sentencing comes after a substantial Dyfed-Powys Police investigation, which began when officers pulled Cribbett over on 27 January 2021.
He was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply and following a scan, he was found to be ‘plugging’ drugs in his rectum. The drugs were later recovered and had a combined value of around £1,380.
Just days later, on 2nd February 2021, Yeldham was arrested after his car was stopped, when mobile phones were seized.
The subsequent investigation, including of their six phones between them, showed Yeldham was organising the enterprise in Aberyswyth, with Cribbett couriering the drugs and assisting Yeldham in his activities bringing heroin and crack cocaine into Aberystwyth, having collected them from Bristol.
Officers were able to prove they ran drugs between 18 December 2020 and 5 February 2021.
Evidence suggesting that Yeldham had orchestrated or taken part in the acquisition of controlled drugs on at least 11 occasions from the upstream supplier from the Bristol area.
The total amount of drugs supplied over the period has been estimated to be in the region of 95.5 grams of Diamorphine, or heroin, with a street value of around £12,000, and 57g of crack cocaine, with a street value of around £7,000.
DC Sam Garside said: “Tackling the people who bring and sell drugs into our area is a priority for the force, so we are pleased with this result.
“These men spent a number of months bringing highly addictive drugs into Aberystwyth to profit from spreading misery.
“This case shows we will come after anyone doing the same and we will prosecute them.
“If you believe someone is dealing drugs in your area, please let us know by email at [email protected], on the force website or by calling 101.”